School districts across the country are looking for help from professional substitute teachers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), it is estimated that substitute teachers will see the number of available positions increase by 3% between 2019 and 2029. In addition, these professionals can find various career opportunities that utilize their skills. And the growth rate for new employment opportunities is even higher for those prepared to accept long-term substitute positions.
The type of position can also determine how likely you are to find an open one. For example, special education substitute teachers see a 3% job growth. In contrast, jobs in elementary schools are likely to increase by 4%.
Your resume will enable you to apply for many of the positions. While you want to write a resume that is impressive and would be inclined to include many details, the average resume is at most 345 words long and less than a page in length.
For those who would like to embark on an exciting career opportunity while helping shape the future of many students throughout their school district, working as a substitute teacher is a great option. This article will take some time to help you write the perfect resume for a substitute teacher, so you can get that position.
Significance of a Well-Crafted Resume for Applying as a Substitute Teacher
A substitute teacher plays a crucial role in maintaining the continuity of education in the absence of a regular teacher. Whether it’s due to illness, maternity leave, or other reasons, substitute teachers step in to ensure that students continue to learn and stay on track with their education.
While substitute teaching may seem like a flexible and easy job, it can be highly competitive, especially in areas where there is a high demand for substitute teachers. As a result, having a well-crafted resume is essential for standing out from the competition and securing a position.
A strong resume not only showcases your skills and qualifications as a substitute teacher but also demonstrates your professionalism and dedication to the job. It should highlight your relevant education, certifications, and experience, as well as any additional skills that make you an excellent candidate for the position.
A well-crafted resume can help catch the attention of school administrators and increase your chances of getting called in for an interview. It also shows that you take the role of a substitute teacher seriously and are committed to providing high-quality education to students.
In conclusion, a strong resume is crucial for anyone looking to secure a job as a substitute teacher. It highlights your qualifications and experience and demonstrates your dedication and professionalism to potential employers. So, take the time to craft a well-written resume, and you’ll be one step closer to landing your dream job as a substitute teacher.
Resume for a Substitute Teacher: How to Create It
Creating a resume as a substitute teacher does not need to be complicated. It is designed to demonstrate your skills and ensure you can get the job you dream about. Some of the components that should be included in your substitute teaching resume are:
Start with your name and contact information
Ensure you include all pertinent contact information at the top of your resume. This makes it easier for the hiring manager to know who you are and how to contact you if they wish to arrange an interview. This information is also something the ATS system will look for, so putting it right at the top can help.
You will need to include your name at the top of the resume in a more prominent font than the rest. You can also include your address. Only the city and state should be mentioned here, though you can include the full address if you like. Add a professional email address. And if you have a professional social media page, you can add that as well, so the hiring manager can learn more about your background.
EXAMPLE
John Doe
Omaha, NE
Jdoe22@email.com
Provide a compelling summary or objective statement
A compelling resume summary or objective will help you demonstrate your skills and work experience. The objective or summary section should be a brief statement that highlights your skills and experience as a substitute teacher. Make sure to tailor this section to the specific job you are applying for. Use action verbs to demonstrate your capabilities.
Some of the action verbs you can choose for your resume summary or objective include:
- Solve
- Strategize
- Record
- Mediate
- Prepare
- Organize
- Manage
- Develop
- Communicate
- Arrange
- Adapt
- Create
EXAMPLE
Detailed-oriented and efficient substitute teacher with 5+ years of experience in early childhood education. Skilled at creating engaging lesson plans, managing classroom behavior, and maintaining a safe and positive learning environment. Excellent time management and organizational skills. Available for pre-planned and last-minute scheduling in English and Mathematics to assist the school district.
tip
When you write your summary statement, ensure the tone is conversational and friendly. Mention your availability, subjects you can teach, and preferred grade levels. Employers need substitutes who can be flexible with their schedule and teaching, so try to mention that in the summary if possible.
Write the employment section
Your employment section will provide a potential employer with more information about your experience. Make sure to highlight any experience that allowed you to work with children, whether you did so as a teacher or in any other capacity such as a teacher or a childcare provider.
Make sure to tailor your resume to the job you are applying for. It would be best if you also wrote the resume in reverse chronological order, placing the most recent experience at the top and working backward. Two to three examples are often enough. Delete any experience that is unrelated to the position or otherwise inappropriate.
As you describe each past work experience, discuss your achievements, not just some of the job duties. Use figures and percentages, if possible, to show the actual results. Utilize bullet points to list your work experience.
EXAMPLE
3rd Grade Teacher at Johnson Elementary School
- Managed a classroom of 25 students for five years.
- Created practical lesson plans to assist students in learning state-mandated information.
- Improved state testing scores by 10%.
Write the education section
Your future employer will want to know more about your educational background, especially if you have any background in education or teaching students. Therefore, you will need to include a detailed section about your educational background. You will need to include the name of the school you attended, the date of your graduation, and the name of the degree you received, even if it is not in education. You can omit the graduation date from the resume if you graduated more than 15 years ago.
Depending on how long ago you graduated and how much other information you can add to the resume, you may want to add some additional educational resources to your resume. For example, you can list your GPA if it is higher than 3.5, your academic projects if they relate to the position, and any extra certifications that help show you are suitable for the job.
EXAMPLE
Bachelor of Science in Education, XYZ University, Anytown, USA
Graduated Magna Cum Laude
Relevant coursework: Classroom Management, Curriculum Design, Educational Psychology
Teaching Certification, State Board of Education, Anytown, USA
Certified to teach K-12 in the state of Anytown
note
If you recently graduated from college, you can put the education section first on the resume and emphasize that more than the experience section. If you are still in college, adding the expected graduation date on the resume is also acceptable.
List your technical and soft skills
Your resume should include some of your technical and soft skills to impress the hiring manager. Technical skills are often the focus of the hiring manager more than soft skills because they relate to the knowledge you need for the job and can include your experience with a teaching method or a specific process.
Some of the technical skills you can consider adding to your resume include:
- Proficiency in using technology tools and software to enhance learning, such as interactive whiteboards, learning management systems (LMS), online collaboration tools, and multimedia resources.
- Proficiency in using standard computer applications such as Microsoft Office Suite, Google Drive, and email communication.
- Familiarity with grading software and assessment tools to evaluate student performance, track progress, and generate reports.
- Knowledge of classroom management software, such as ClassDojo, that helps monitor student behavior, communicate with parents, and track attendance.
- Experience with LMS platforms such as Blackboard, Canvas, or Moodle that facilitate online learning, collaboration, and communication.
Substitute teachers will also need to add some soft skills to their resumes. These are skills that may not relate directly to the work but can help them manage the classroom better.
There are many skills that you can add to your substitute teacher resume, including:
- Patience
- Empathy
- Organization
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Problem-solving
EXAMPLE
- Able to communicate effectively with students, other teachers, and parents both verbally and in writing.
- Effective classroom management to assist students in gaining knowledge of relevant material.
- Effective lesson planning skills with the flexibility to change based on student learning.
- Ability to solve problems quickly.
Include your additional certifications
The certification section of a resume for a substitute teacher lists any certifications or licenses that the candidate has obtained in the field of education. This section is significant for substitute teachers, as it demonstrates their qualifications and eligibility to work in schools.
Here are some examples of certifications that can be included in the certification section of a resume for a substitute teacher:
- Teaching certification
- Emergency substitute teaching certification
- First Aid and CPR certification
- Professional development certifications
- Technology certification
Free Templates for a Substitute Teacher Resume
Things to Consider When Writing a Resume
As you are writing your substitute teacher resume, there are a few tips you can consider to make sure you stand out from the crowd and get the hiring manager to look more closely at your resume compared to the other candidates.
Some of the things that you should consider include the following:
Use the right layout
If you want to work as a substitute teacher, your resume must have the appropriate appearance. You want to format the resume well to demonstrate your organizational skills. It would be best if you kept the document as simple as possible. Use a neat, clear layout, avoiding pictures and icons that will give it a cluttered appearance. Separate everything into sections with proper headings to make it easier for the hiring manager to glance through and learn more about you.
Emphasize your skills
Highlight your soft skills, such as communication, adaptability, and patience, that are essential for success as a substitute teacher.
Quantify your achievements
An excellent way to impress the school administrators is to include precise statistics and numbers, when necessary, to demonstrate your achievements effectively. For example, instead of just writing “improved test scores,” write about how much you were able to increase the test scores. Mention how many students you have managed in past classrooms or any other facts you can support with numbers. You do not have to limit this to your work section. You can include it in any portion of your resume where it is appropriate, especially in the resume summary or objective.
Include only relevant information
Resumes should be no longer than one page long, no matter how many skills you have or how long you have worked as a teacher. Before adding any information, ensure that it is relevant to the position you are applying for.
Write an ATS-compliant resume
Any time you write a resume for a new job, you must ensure that it is ATS compliant. ATS, an applicant tracking system, is used by employers to collect, scan, organize, and then rank applications. Since many schools receive many applications for substitute teachers and many other open positions, the ATS allows them to shortlist only the most suitable ones.
Your goal is to create a resume that will be shortlisted by the ATS which can be achieved through smart keyword usage and including the relevant skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unless your resume has a good density of the right experience and skills, you may not get considered for the role. Analyzing the job description is an excellent place to search for relevant keywords. Taking keywords from there and incorporating them into your resume will make a significant difference. Still, a few other keywords can help too, such as early childhood education, child development, early childhood, punctuality, teaching certificate, and flexibility.
As a substitute teacher, it’s important to showcase your ability to be an effective and successful substitute. Some of the most crucial skills to include on your resume are classroom management, adaptability and flexibility, communication, subject matter expertise, technology proficiency, patience and empathy, and organization and time management. Demonstrating expertise in these skills on your resume will show potential employers that you have the necessary skills and experience to be a successful substitute teacher.
About This Article
